Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-07
THE NEW SOUTH.
WHAT JUDGE KELLEY SAYS OF ITS
WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT.
A Look at Nashville and Chattanooga.
Railroads and Mineral Kegions-Cotton
Raising and Its Draw backs-An Incl
dent at tAnniston-Towns.


Raising and Its Draw backs-An Inci-
dent at Anniston-Towns.
Judge Kelley has come back from his
southern trip, fun Of its wonderful devel-
opment. He says the new south is entirely
different from the south Of twenty years
ago. Said he:
Certain parts Of the south are going
ahead faster to-day than in any parts Of
the north The country about Birmiug-
ham and Admission is on the boom, and
their appearance is that of the fast grow
ing western frontier town rather than the
old villages Of the south. Nashville is a
magnificent city. Chattanooga has.
think, the largest tannery in the world,
and is doing a great deal of manufactur-
ing. II ships its lumber in every direction,
and it has all the enterprise of "A northern
city. About Chattanooga the farmers are
making a great deal in the raising of fruit,
and it is curious thing that on one side
Of Mission ridge there are vast strawberry
beds which run up the side of the noun
tain. and over the hill are great fields of
grapes. These Strawberries are shipped
all over the country by the car load and
by train loads They are eaten in Cincin
Edil. tltNtitilhl NultdSO, dltl, tbilllllS
as they do early in the season. they bring
high prices. l cite this as an example as
TO how the south is investigating its re-
sources. The land will raise something
else than corn and cotton, and the people
are beginning to find it out. "
DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY.
How about railroad buildings'
Several thousand miles Of railroad
were built in the south during the past
year, and everywhere the railroad goes
the country develops. In the newly de-
veloped part of the south the condition of
the lower class is rapidly improving The
laborers Of Chattanooga, Birmingham, An
niston and the fast developing mineral
regions of the south live in good houses,
and they make fair wages. l estimate
that one bachelor laborer is Of more good
To the storekeepers of the southern COM
munity than four families who are en-
gagged in the work of raising cotton !
assert this without fear of contradiction,
and am able to maintain it. The south
has been divided up into small farms and
these farms ace almost universally de-
voted 10 cotton raising. Each farmers
product amounts to about one or two
bales q year seldom more than two and
often not more than one. He sells these
bales for about $40 apiece, and these $40
constitute his annual income and support.
Long lines of these poor farmers come TO
market with their yearly load of cotton.
Sometimes they have two steers attached
to a cart, sometimes mule and a steer,
and at other times a horse The head of
the family drives the cart back of him is
the bale of cotton, and behind in the
wagon or cart sit the women of the
family.
Il saw hundreds Of such scenes and /
found that the women of the family al
ways come along. This was in order
that they might lay In their yearly sup
plies of clothes and provisions This SAC
represented the entire money outlay for
the year, and their entire purchasing
power for household conveniences Hence
they came along to advise their husbands
and fathers as TO the use of the money.
BITTER COLD NIGHT.
Zone night that spent at Admission was
bitter cold. A large number of these small
planters and their families had come in to
sell their cotton, but they had arrived too
late for the dealers to buy. They were too
poor to go 10 hotel. and they had to sleep
in their wagons or huddle around a fire
which they kindled out doors to keep them
selves warm. Some of these farmers travel
twenty, thirty and forty miles to market.
The roads are not good, as there is little
Accommodation among them. The
cotton trip is the big trip Of the year, and,
doubt not, is talked of for weeks before
it is undertaken. The large landowners,
who in some cases, rent out small farms
to these planters, graduate their charges
and the expenses Of raising by the extent
of the crop, and, as rule, it makes not
much difference whether the crop amounts
TO five bales or three. The poor farmer
gets enough to live upon, and this is about
one bale. Now, a laborer at 81 day will
make $500 year if he works steadily, or,
even in slipshod way, he is sure to make
$l20. This, as rule, he spends, and this
amount is three times that of the average
small farmer"
How about the new towns in the
souths'
They are growing up along the differ
ent lines Of road, and they are showing all
the signs of modern civilization. Many Of
the new store buildings which are erected
are of brick, and found good churches and
schools in many of them In Admission l
noticed the children going TO school. They
seemed as well dressed as our northern
little ones and visited a number OF both
white and colored schools and found them
very well conducted Prank G. Carpen-
ter in Cleveland Leader.